The Anglo-Israel Association was founded in 1949 by Brigadier General Sir Wyndham Deedes, a year after the establishment of the State of Israel. Sir Wyndham, a deeply religious Christian, had briefly been the Chief Secretary to the British Mandatory Government in Palestine.

The Anglo-Israel Association today is an independent charity that enjoys the active support of people from different faiths across the entire political spectrum. 

The IoI Current Affairs Forum (CAF) provides an opportunity for people to discuss what is behind the news headlines, with the intention of developing a deeper understanding of the world. More than just a talking shop, the CAF encourages an examination of the way that ideas can be taken forward in society, with discussions ranging from international affairs to lifestyle issues, from culture to the state of politics.

The CAF is run by a group of young professionals and students who wanted to create a lively and informal environment to interrogate contemporary social and political issues. The Forum meets regularly in Central London to investigate a specific issue in the news, and draws on the thoughts and experience of its members and occasional guest speakers.

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“The Battle of Ideas is a breath of fresh air. Freedom of speech is actively encouraged, which is hugely liberating. Audience and speakers are refreshingly candid. Apart from speaking their minds, many of them enjoy a drink. Others like to smoke. This is the real world, not the grey, bland, sanitized world our political masters would like us to inhabit.”

Simon Clark, director, The Free Society

“Medical science underpins so much of our lives and has an ever-growing role in defining our culture. Open and engaged debate of current biomedical issues - from access to medical data, to our perception of Britain as a ‘boozy’ nation - is essential for our society if as individuals we are going to keep up with the latest thinking and make our decisions accordingly. The Wellcome Trust is supporting the Battle for Biomedicine debates because they offer an opportunity to stimulate vigorous discussion about the future of medicine both within and beyond the Battle of Ideas festival.”

Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust